Departmental secrecy hampers land-clearing investigation

AN INVESTIGATION into alleged illegal land clearing by a large
property developer appears to have been obstructed by a NSW
Government agency's refusal to hand over potential evidence to
another, according to documents made public by the Government.

The documents, dated between August and October, show the
Department of Environment and Conservation was aware the Department
of Natural Resources was investigating alleged illegal
land-clearing at a proposed residential development called
Sweetwater. The property was owned by Hardie Holdings.

Resources had asked Environment for copies of various reports on
the ecological values of the site that contained references to
alleged illegal "under-scrubbing" or thinning of bushland that
could threaten native animal and plant species.

"I am not sure how but DNR has learnt that DEC has copies of
these reports and approached staff in NEB (North-East Branch) to
get a copy," wrote the Department of Environment and Conservation
director for the North-East, Gary Davey, to staff in an email dated
August 30 last year.

"My advice was that the material had been provided to DEC [by
Hardie Holdings] for a particular purpose and that DEC could not
simply provide copies to any third party. DNR was advised
accordingly."

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Conservation
said yesterday that freedom of information laws did not allow it to
pass on the material, even to another NSW government agency.

Hardie Holdings did not return a call from the Herald.
The Government's legal action against the company is now before the
Land and Environment Court.